Rail-clamp



' H. FRAPPART AND 1. B. BOUVIER.

RAIL CLAMP.

A P P L l C A T 0 N F l L E D M AR. 23, 1920- 1,353,5'77. Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

Mv www To all wlw/m, i concern.'

unirel sra" Y HENRY FRAPPART AND JEAN-Barrrsrn Boni/iran, `oriizrivenfin", r1.ra'ujxrirs.''i

RAIL-CLAMP.

v Be it Known' that we, HENRY F RAPPART and JEAN BAPTISTE BOUVIER, a citizen of the United States, anda subject ofthe King of Belgium, ,.respectively, residing at Kin- Caid, in thecounty of Christian'and State of, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Ain RailfClamps, of which the following is a specification. This invention` relates to rail clamps, and particularlyto'a ldevice of this Vcharacter intended for usein lmines and in other like connections, to hold rails in place.

An object is to. provide a clamp structure by which a tread railnis held in an upright Y relation and Va bed rail or a length of rail laid toV fit within the tread rail is clamped and held thereagainstfto secure the tread rail in place and to present a portion of the bed rail parallel withand adjacent thehead 1 of the tread rail to guard against and prevent derailment of cars traveling thereon.

A further Objectis to so construct the various portions of the clamp that the bed rail is wedgedand is positively held against' springing or otherwise moving from. its interfitted positionwithrelation to the tread rail. I v Y .Yet another object resides in constructing' and arranging the parts in such manner that 1., the clamp can be moved along the rails or either or both rails can be slid endwise thereinprevious to tightening of the clamping portions to thus obtain a proper fitting of the parts, and in so making these clamping portions that they are releasable for fitting and readjustment in new positions of use.

lWith these and other objects in ,viewl which will be apparent from the specification7 drawings, and `claims,this `invention includes certain novel features of construe-1 tion and-combinations of parts which will In the drawings:

Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through a tread rail and a bed rail having our improved rail clamp applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the parts illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the clamp member of the structure.

In the present disclosure we have illustrated the tread rail l and the bedrail 2 as being of substantially standard design and of the T-rail type, although as the descrip- Specification of LetterfsPa'tent.' Sept, Application filed March 23, 1920. Serial-No. 367,989;- i

tionprogresses -it will beappreciatedithat this ,invention might Abe'employed in .con' junction with and be usedfor 'securement of other types of-rails. v

The. i'ail.clamp consists'in the main of a clamp Vmember 3 ofxwrought .steel vor other 1 material.. possessing the requisite strength. This. clampmember is made up to includeA a Hat body portion 4, atrone end of which a base flange `receivinghookr isfformedithe remaining end beingprovided with anup i?.r

standing wedge receiving portionf. This wedge receiving` portion'. is inclined slightly froma vertical relation toward the' hook 5, and at its upper 'end is shaped in' a'hool';

formation 7 overhanging thev body portion 4 and substantially parallel therewith'.V The inner side of the upstanding"portionvlp is" facedto form a bearing surface and 1s preff- Y erably tapered or inclined from vside .to side as indicated by thedotted lines 8, inFig. 42. 'if

Thebaseflange receiving hook 5 is shaped to conformsubstantially tofone.side1.of the base flange of a rail', when the rail is placed in anV upright relation on the-body portion The head of a standardfrail is' of 'such form and size that when. :turned, as israil 2in Fig. l, itnwill fit .within and substantially sufficient length thatthe upright extension' l6 with the Vhook portion? thereof are entirely 4, substantially as rail 1 is fitted in Fig. 1.

clear vof the bed rail 2. The incline of this *1l* yupstanding portion 6 `is gagedito bring'the bearing yface' thereof substantially parallelV with thel adjacent yface of v'thebasernflan'ge of bed ra-iL 2.1'-`

. A clampwedge lof;q1iadranguiar.' Shpe" +r in cross section is tapered on its outer face l0 to a degree corresponding with the taper yof the bearing Vface of extension 6. Opposite-sides of wedge 9 are shapedto t the upper and lower faces of body portion 4 and hook 7 res ectively, andthe remaining sides of the wed the angularly disposed base flange of bed rail 2 and the bearing surface of upright extension 6.

In the use of our improvedprail clamp tread rail l is fitted in place on the body portion 4 of clamp member 3 beneath hook 5, if the clamp member be supported, or the clamp member is thus fitted to a rail which e are shaped to conform to v j has been laid in place. Bed rail 2 is then dropped into place or is slid endwise to be embraced within the confines of clamp member 3 with the head thereof bearing against tread rail 1. Clamp wedge 9 is then inserted and driven into place, this wedge clamping bed rail 2 securely against tread rail 1 and f body portion 4. This peculiar formation of wedge 9 and the parts adjacent thereto brings about a co-active result by which the tread rail is securely clamped and retained in place and both rails are held kagainst turning movement or displacement within the clamp. lt has been found that in the use of this rail clamp in mines and other like connections full length rails may be fitted in place as bed rails until a shaft has been extended sufficiently that there is room in front to permit it to be secured in place as a tread rail, and in this tting bed rail 2 acts not alone to hold tread rail 1 in place, but also the base ange thereof is presented adjacent and parallel with tread rail 1 to prevent derailment of Vcars traveling on said rail.

While in the foregoing we have shown andsdescribed only one specific embodiment, and have only briefly alluded to other forms and constructions which might be used, it will be apparent that several changes might be embodied, and may even become necessary under varying conditions of use, in View of which we wish to be limited only to 'such points as are covered by the claims.

We claim:

1. lA rail clamp including a clamp member having a hook formation at. one end to engage with the base flange of a tread rail andY provided with an upright extension at its remaining end, the body of said clamp member being made sufficiently long to accommodate a bed rail placed with the head thereof between the head and base fiange of the tread rail, and a wedge to be driven between the upright extension and the base flange of the bed rail.

2. A rail clamp including a clamp member shaped at one end to receive an upright tread rail andmade of sufficient length to accommodate a bed rail placed on one side with the head thereof between the base flange and head of the tread rail, said clamp member having an upright extension on its remaining end spaced to clear the base flange of the bed rail and inclined to be substantially parallel therewith, and a clamp ing wedge to be inserted between said upright extension and the baseflange of the bed rail and having the bearing faces thereof angularly disposed to follow the incline of said extension and fiange.

3. A rail clamp including a clamp member consisting of an elongated body portion having a hook formation at one end to receive the base'fiange of an upright tread rail placed on said body portion, said body portion being of suflicient length to receive the base fiange of a bed rail placed on its side parallel to'and with its head received between the base flange and head of the tread rail and being provided with an uupright extension on its remaining end angularly disposed to follow the incline of the base fiange of the bed rail, said upright extension being faced on that side adjacent the bed rail to provide an inclined bearing surface and having a hook at its upper end overhanging said bearing surface and extending substantially parallel with said body, and a tapered wedge made of a width to ft between said overhanging hook and the body portion of the clamp member and having its side faces inclined with respect to the wedge faces to follow the incline of the base flange of the bed rail and the upright extension.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures. Y

HENRY FRAPPART.' JEAN Bar'rrsfrn Bonvinn. 

